GLILOT — Israel conducted approximately 18,000 strikes on Iran in 2026, a campaign overseen by IDF Military Intelligence chief Shlomi Binder that destroyed the majority of Tehran's nuclear infrastructure. The operation reduced Iran's centrifuge fleet from 20,000 units to zero active enrichment capacity, according to intelligence assessments.

Shlomi Binder was sworn in as the IDF Military Intelligence chief in August 2024. A replacing ceremony for the IDF Intelligence Command was held at the headquarters in Glilot on August 21, 2024. Upon assuming command, Binder ordered and managed the bombing of Natanz and Isfahan. He also directed the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

IDF intelligence teams provided intelligence for over 90% of the strikes on Iran. In June 2025, Israel conducted approximately 4,000 strikes on Iran. During this period, Binder provided intelligence used by the US to bomb Fordow in June 2025. The volume of military action increased the following year, with the 18,000 strikes in 2026 representing a rise from the 4,000 conducted in June 2025.

The coordinated attacks targeted specific components of the Iranian nuclear program. Israeli attacks targeted facilities for converting enriched uranium into uranium metal and hemispheres. As a result of these operations, the majority of Iran's 20,000 centrifuge fleet was destroyed or rendered unusable.

Iran currently has no centrifuges enriching uranium. Some advanced IR-6 centrifuges survived underground, but the Iranian regime has not made serious progress in rebuilding weapons group facilities.

Conflicting assessments emerged regarding the threat level at the site in summer 2026. Top US and Israeli defense sources stated in classified briefings in summer 2026 that there was no current threat from Pickaxe Mountain. However, reports on July 14 indicated that Israeli intelligence told the US Iran had moved thousands of centrifuges and enriched uranium to Pickaxe Mountain.

Satellite reports indicate Iran has added structures to block certain areas from continuous satellite coverage. Reports indicate Iranians are digging in various areas, sometimes distant from struck nuclear facilities.

US President Donald Trump addressed the situation in a podcast interview on July 13. "The US would take out Pickaxe Mountain," Trump said. He also stated in the same interview that there was no activity at Pickaxe Mountain.

Why It Matters

The destruction of the majority of Iran's 20,000 centrifuge fleet and the elimination of current uranium enrichment capabilities represent a fundamental alteration of Iran's nuclear posture. With Iran currently having no centrifuges enriching uranium, the immediate capacity to produce weapons-grade material has been neutralized. The scale of the campaign, involving over 20,000 total strikes across 2025 and 2026, demonstrates an unprecedented level of coordinated military and intelligence cooperation between Israel and the United States.

The focus on Pickaxe Mountain shows the ongoing challenge of verifying disarmament in underground facilities. While top US and Israeli defense sources assessed no current threat from the site in summer 2026, reports of construction surges and asset transfers suggest continued Iranian efforts to preserve nuclear capabilities. The discrepancy between official briefings and intelligence reports regarding activity at Pickaxe Mountain reflects the complexity of monitoring deep underground sites and the potential for rapid reconstitution of nuclear programs if reconstruction efforts succeed.

Timeline

Shlomi Binder provided intelligence used by the US to bomb Fordow in June 2025.

Israel conducted approximately 4,000 strikes on Iran in June 2025. Israel conducted approximately 18,000 strikes on Iran in 2026. US President Donald Trump stated in a July 13 interview that the US would take out Pickaxe Mountain. Donald Trump stated in a July 13 interview that there was no activity at Pickaxe Mountain.

What's New

Additional reporting identifies Shlomi Binder as IDF military personnel. Analysis places Pickaxe Mountain about 1.5 kilometres (1 mi) south of the Natanz nuclear complex in Isfahan province, Iran. The site is identified as a mountain in Isfahan Province, Iran, and the location of a suspected underground nuclear facility near Natanz.

Satellite imagery analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) shows a clear surge in construction activity at Pickaxe Mountain this year. CSIS analysts state the Pickaxe Mountain facility is likely intended as a centrifuge assembly site, an enrichment facility, or a safe haven for other nuclear weapons relevant work.